


you set my soul free (hope you feel the same)

by loveintheveins



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Childhood Friends, Festivals, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Vacation, also she's their biggest supporter and shipper, keeping it in brand because that's all i seem to be able to write, oikawa's grandma is one sassy lady
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-09-20 21:56:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17030724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loveintheveins/pseuds/loveintheveins
Summary: When these memories were followed byveryspecific ones on the precise shade of Hajime’s eyes, the way his smile got slightly crooked and his nose crinkled when he was feeling particularly happy, or how he would smell curiously of citrus in winter, Tooru had started questioning whether his feelings for his best friend were wholly platonic.From then on it hadn’t been hard for him to guess the nature and depth of his affections for Hajime, and he realised then that he would never be satisfied with just friendship. It was a simple truth he couldn’t deny. He wanted –needed– more from their relationship. After he realised that he gave himself some time to pine for Hajime like the lovesick fool he apparently was – he was self-aware enough to admit it to himself, but Hajimemust never know–, before he’d decided to confess.However, that was much easier said than done.Or:Oikawa is unable to keep his feelings for his best friend to himself any longer, so he decides to invite Iwaizumi to spend the upcoming winter break with him in Chichibu, where he goes every year to help his grandmother manage her ryokan in preparation for the Night Festival.





	you set my soul free (hope you feel the same)

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a hot second since I've written about these boys and I missed them so much! At first I had this small idea and then it ran away from me, so instead of a one-shot now I somehow have a chaptered fic ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯. This fic is almost finished, so I'll be posting the other two chapters in the next couple of weeks. It is also unbeta'd, and written as I was very ill, so apologies for any mistakes or if it reads like something out of a fever dream.
> 
> This was written for the [2018 Haikyuu!! Big Bang](http://hqbb.tumblr.com/tagged/hqbb2018/). Thank you so much to the super talented [Tainted](http://tainted126.tumblr.com/) for drawing such a beautiful illustration to accompany my little fic! ❤
> 
> Title from ["Suddenly"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-etQjPbzFY&ab_channel=hiplandmusic) by Predawn.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Up next:** Oikawa Tooru pining and just generally being disgustingly in love with his best friend. Also, Oikawa's sassy grandmother Michiko.

It was an unusually cold morning for November, which Tooru became acutely aware of as he slid the entrance door of the ryokan open and was promptly greeted by a chilly gust of wind. It tousled his hair and seeped through the flimsy cotton of his shirt, making him hug himself in a futile attempt to hold back a full-bodied shiver. His hands were cold against his skin.

He looked up, the faint grey streaks of light barely outlining the mountains against the pitch black sky, and sighed. 

Despite working nonstop and exhausting himself thoroughly yesterday he’d been too restless, finding sleep after a long time of rolling around on his futon only to be roused by his traitorous body clock at 5 in the morning. Unsurprisingly, his fatigue hadn’t helped with the nerves that’d been steadily building over the past few weeks, so he’d tried to distract himself by tidying his room before stumbling down the stairs to the kitchen for some breakfast.

His grandmother, unsurprisingly, had already been sitting by the table and was finishing a steaming bowl of miso soup, looking decidedly put together despite the early hour. Her silver hair was tied back in a severe bun and she was wearing a fine-looking, cream-coloured kimono dotted with red and orange maple leaves and held together by a dark green obi woven with golden embroidery. She looked more imposing than usual, and Tooru tried to convince himself he didn’t know why.

She’d taken a quick look at his face before making a noise that sounded suspiciously like mocking laughter, and filled another bowl for him.

“So,” she’d started, not even pretending to be subtle, “excited about today?” 

Her tone hadn’t left any doubts as to what she’d been referring to. He’d refused to believe he was going to be teased by his own grandmother.

Trying to feign nonchalance, he answered in his most cheerful voice, “Of course, Baa-chan. The festival is really close now so more tourists’ll be arriving, and we need to make sure everything’s ready for them.”

He even tacked one of his _I’m-such-a-sweet-grandson_ smiles at the end of his statement for good measure, but his grandmother’s raised eyebrow said she hadn’t been at all convinced by his act.

She’d opened her mouth to say something but seemed to think better of it and simply returned her attention to the bowl in front of her, shaking her head as if exasperated by the unmannerly way that today’s youth behaved. He couldn’t hold back his snort at her expression, despite the fact that she was clearly mocking his _very real_ dilemma. It only made her shake her head harder.

Having finished eating and tidying up she’d given him that day’s list of tasks and made to leave, but before Tooru could comment on its unusually small size she’d turned around and fixed him with a look.

“Can you finish these before 11?” At his confused nod, her face softened. “Good, so take the rest of the day off afterwards,” she said pointedly.

He shook his head stubbornly. “But there’s still so m–”

“Are you contradicting your Obaa-sama?” she’d asked in a mock-haughty tone. His face must have showed how disgruntled he was feeling, because she’d laughed before circling her arms around his waist and hugging him tight.

Tooru exhaled, letting out the tension that had been accumulating on his back. His grandmother looked tiny standing next to him, but instead of it making him want to tease her – not that he didn’t do it on occasion, though; he had to somehow get back at her for all the teasing _she_ did –, he felt like scooping her up in a bear hug and never letting her go. No matter the problem he might be facing, she always seemed to know how to make it better with the smallest gestures.

“I don’t know why you’re so nervous”, she’d said once they’d separated, petting his right cheek lightly. “You’re a handsome young man and he’s your best friend, so I’m sure everything will work out just fine.”

“Obaa-chan!” he’d whined, feeling exceedingly betrayed at her for talking explicitly about his predicament.

At this point her eyes had been twinkling with unrestrained mirth.

“Stop being so dramatic. Honestly, I don’t know where you get that from,” she’d said, before flicking the ends of her obi with a hand marching out of the kitchen with her chin held high. 

Another cold breeze hit his face, snapping him back to the present, and Tooru yawned and rubbed at his eyes. His hands had gone numb even though he’d only standing outside for a few minutes. However, just as he was contemplating going back to his room to grab a jumper and maybe even a scarf the delivery truck arrived, so he made his way over and grabbed the groceries as quickly as he could before hurrying back inside.

He walked back to the kitchen and was immediately enveloped in the cosy warmth of the steam coming from the stove, signalling that his grandmother had gotten started on the guests’ breakfast. Tooru deposited the grocery bags on the table and started storing the ingredients in the pantry.

When he turned towards his grandmother he saw that she was surrounded by pans and other cooking utensils and the counter was crammed with delicious-looking dishes. She had a concentrated frown on her face while she stirred one of the pots. It was the perfect time to strike. 

He trod lightly, trying to make as little sound as possible as he approached her and then pounced toward a bowl of tamagoyaki. Before he could reach it though, a wooden spoon smacked lightly on the back of his hand, startling him.

“Ow! Obaa-chan, what the hell?!”

“Language, boy. And don’t be greedy, you’ve already eaten your breakfast.”

Tooru looked down at his grandmother with his best puppy eyes, and though she smacked his hand again for good measure she let him take one of the rolls and stuff it in his mouth. That trick always worked.

“Thank you, Baa-chan, you’re the best!” he said, loudly smacking a kiss on her cheek and moving quickly away from the wooden spoon’s reach.

“Yes, yes, now go finish your duties before the guests come downstairs,” she admonished.

“Yes, ma’am,” he gave her a half-salute and ran towards the door cackling after stealing another roll from the bowl.

Tooru then busied himself for the rest of the morning with the tasks in the list. He started by cleaning the common area, rearranging the sitting cushions and the scattered bits and bobs left on the tables by the guests last night. As they started making their way downstairs and took their seats in the common area he and his grandmother served breakfast. Afterward, when they moved to the onsen, Tooru went upstairs to tidy the rooms. There were only two families staying at the ryokan so far, which made his job easier, but in his experience that would change very soon as it got closer to the night festival next week. It was still only Monday, after all, and many tourists arrived at the last minute.

He kept trying to distract himself while performing menial tasks but found that they were practically muscle memory at this point, which allowed for his mind to roam. And, as they tended to do when left unsupervised, his thoughts wandered back to Hajime.

Hajime, his childhood best friend. Hajime, who moved to Kyoto to attend university while Tooru went to Tokyo and whom he had missed with the intensity of a physical ache. Hajime, whom Tooru realised earlier this year he was hopelessly in love with. Hajime, who was coming to visit. Today.

Just thinking about it had his stomach twisting in a strange mixture of anxiety and anticipation.

Now, Tooru’d had plenty of time to get used to the idea of being in love with his best friend. 

When he’d first moved to Tokyo he’d been extremely excited by all the changes happening in his life and so it had been easy to focus on them in order to distract himself from how much he’d missed Hajime. He’d tell himself it was normal to feel that way since Hajime had always been such a big part of his life and he’d likely need some time to get used to his absence. They still texted and skyped, Tooru reasoned, trying to convince himself that he’d be satisfied with that. 

However as time passed and he’d settled down in his routine it became more and more apparent that what he had with Hajime wasn’t enough for him anymore. He needed more, much more than what they already had. The sheer intensity of the longing he felt for Hajime left him baffled. 

At first Tooru couldn’t make sense of the tangled mess that was his feelings, until one seemingly unremarkable day. He’d been sitting on his worn out couch studying for one exam or another with his textbooks sprawled over the coffee table, when he’d suddenly realised how quiet it was. He didn’t know what had made him notice it – after all he lived by himself, so his flat was always quiet. He’d tried to focus on his book again, but after he’d become aware of it the silence kept ringing in his ears.

Then, concentration all but gone, his treacherous mind had provided him with a profusion of memories of when he and Hajime used to study together. 

They would always do so, having sleepovers at each other’s houses, one helping the other in their favourite subjects. True, they would spend half the time joking and trying to come up with increasingly innovative (meaning: annoying) ways of distracting each other but eventually they’d get the job done, and Tooru couldn’t deny that he would always feel much more relaxed about any oncoming exams afterwards.

When these memories were followed by _very_ specific ones on the precise shade of Hajime’s eyes, the way his smile got slightly crooked and his nose crinkled when he was feeling particularly happy, or how he would smell curiously of citrus in winter, Tooru had started questioning whether his feelings for his best friend were wholly platonic. 

From then on it hadn’t been hard for him to guess the nature and depth of his affections for Hajime, and he realised then that he would never be satisfied with just friendship. It was a simple truth he couldn’t deny. He wanted – _needed_ – more from their relationship. After he realised that he gave himself some time to pine for Hajime like the lovesick fool he apparently was – he was self-aware enough to admit it to himself, but Hajime _must never know_ –, before he’d decided to confess.

However, that was much easier said than done.

In the first few weeks after that life-changing revelation Tooru had felt awkward and hesitant with the knowledge of it, and he was sure that it must have shown in the gaps between their conversations. He couldn’t help it though, because it’d seemed like once Tooru’s perspective about his relationship with Hajime had changed everything else changed with it.

But if Hajime noticed something was off he said nothing of it, just kept on being a reassuring and unquestionable presence in Tooru’s life, even from afar. That had likely only made his feelings grow, but he couldn’t say he resented it at all. Hajime was _good_. He was gentle and steady and breathtaking all wrapped up in a single person. Tooru was even convinced that he was _perfect_ for him. He’d always made Tooru the happiest by simply existing, which was a feeling he’d never scrutinised before and was therefore deeply unacquainted with, but one that he couldn’t deny and wouldn’t trade for anything.

So while he’d had plenty of time to get used to the idea of being in love with Hajime, it was something else altogether to say that out loud to him.

He’d needed months to talk himself into even acknowledging the thought of confessing as a feasible option and not just some daydream he’d sometimes indulge in, but at the end of the day his longing spoke louder than his many reservations. He’d missed Hajime like crazy and couldn't wait to see him in person after so long, needed to somehow soothe that aching deep within him. 

And then he’d had the idea of inviting Hajime to spend the upcoming break with him in Chichibu, and after that thought had formed it had refused to leave his mind. And if Tooru jumped around his living room after Hajime had said yes, nobody needed to know it.

And now today was the day. Hajime would arrive just after 11 a.m. and Tooru was going to pick him up at the train station. He didn’t want to be even one minute late, so he managed to finish the list of tasks for the day in record time and then went back to his room to take a quick shower. He just hoped his grandmother wouldn’t realise that the prospect of hanging out with his best friend made him work faster, because he knew she would definitely exploit that knowledge.

His room was freezing by the time he left the bathroom, so he turned the portable heater on and layered up: a long-sleeved white shirt followed by a plain faded black jumper with some faded print and a plain blue one over that, and then a dark green coat to top it all off. He finished his ensemble with a thick scarf, gloves, and a red beanie. Okay, now he was ready to brave the outside world.

Tooru tried to contain the concoction of emotions bubbling up inside him, but he practically ran his grandmother over in his haste to get downstairs. 

She looked at him with an amused tilt to her lips and said in a teasing tone, “Your boyfriend’s not gonna get there any faster if you run like this, Tooru-chan.”

“ _Baa_ -chan,” he whined, trying unsuccessfully to not blush at the prod, “you know he’s not my boyfriend!”

That dangerous twinkle was back in her eyes, but she waved him off and said only a “Yet,” in a lilting voice before leaving him standing wide-eyed at the foot of the staircase.

Oikawa Michiko was a menace and Tooru was starting to realise that maybe it had been a bad idea to have Hajime under the same roof with her.

Tooru huffed in disbelief, trying and failing to contain his laughter. Despite all that she might tease him for it – all that she _did_ tease him, which was a _whole_ lot, by the way –, he was glad he’d told her about this. It meant he wouldn’t go through whatever it was that ended up happening by himself, and he knew he could rely on her. The thought warm him up a little inside.

He walked over to the entrance of the ryokan to grab his grandmother’s car keys, then opened the door and crossed the lawn as fast as he could before locking himself inside the car and blasting the heating. He was already chilly again. He rubbed his gloved hands against his cheeks then put the car in gear and exited the parking lot.

His grandmother’s ryokan was located at the top of a hill and was nestled between two parks, so he had to drive down a winding lane surrounded by a variety of trees and creepers tinged in autumn shades in order to reach the main road. The sun was hidden behind a dense blanket of clouds and only occasionally, when the wind rustled the leaves, would small dapples of light break through the heavy foliage to illuminate the path with golden spots.

As he reached the base of the hill the trees became sparse and allowed a view of an incongruous cluster of houses bordering a wide lake. He then exited on the intersection and, after crossing a stretch of suburban area that lead downtown he drove until he reached Chichibu Station. It was an unremarkable building, certainly not imposing enough to cause his heart rate to accelerate. He parked out front and took a deep breath before walking towards it and going inside.

Tooru was barely paying attention as he bought a random ticket and then walked – he definitely _did not_ run – up the stairs to the platform Hajime’s train would stop at and immediately looking around. The platform was still empty, and he tried to contain the odd mixture of disappointment, nervousness, and excitement that was threatening to overwhelm him. He needed to get himself under control or he had a feeling he might burst.

Realising there was nothing to distract him but a lone vending machine, he sat on the bench next to it and considered his options. He had just bought and taken a sip of a disgusting canned coffee when the sounds of a train rapidly approaching reached his ears. He reacted automatically, jumping up and feeling like it was both too long and too soon when the train finally stops. 

His heart almost leapt out of his chest when he stopped Iwaizumi stepping out, wearing a grey scarf around his neck and carrying a large sports bag over a shoulder.

It was the first time since university started that Tooru was seeing him in person, and so he allowed himself a momento to simply stand there to take him in. He looked more mature, somehow, like he’d grown into his own body; there was something more self-assured about the way he moved, the set of his jaw was more marked, his golden skin darker – and Tooru also couldn’t help but notice how his arms seemed even bigger than before. He just couldn’t get enough of him.

Hajime had undeniably changed, but at the same time there were still many hints of the boy Tooru had always known and loved. It was both soothing and exhilarating.

It wasn’t until Hajime made eye contact with him, smiling almost hesitantly, that Tooru realised his hands had started shaking, so he threw the coffee can in the trash and took a deep breath. He tried to school his face into something that didn’t spell out I’m-helplessly-in-love-with-his-best-friend, but he wasn’t sure if he’d succeeded. He'd had plenty of time to deal with his feelings and now was definitely not the time for that. 

Tooru let a genuine smile take over his face and threw caution to the wind, if only for a minute. Let himself enjoy this moment. He rushed over, colliding against Hajime’s chest with all his strength and winding his arms around his neck.

Tooru could feel against his own chest as Hajime’s breath left him in a rush, and his momentum caused Hajime to trip and nearly lose his balance before he righted himself again by leaning back against Tooru.

And then Hajime laughed next to Tooru’s ear and he could feel his brain short-circuiting.

Hajime’s laughter was low and rough and it rolled smoothly over Tooru’s skin, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

“Hello to you too,” Hajime chuckled, holding him even closer. Tooru wasn’t feeling so cold all of a sudden.

“ _Iwa-chan_ ,” he mumbled weakly, holding on for dear life and hoping Hajime would attribute how winded he sounded to his own tight hug. He was too overwhelmed to form coherent sentences at the moment.

“You look like you missed me,” Hajime teased. And then, when Tooru stayed quiet, he shook him slightly. “Are you planning on letting me go anytime soon?”

“Nuh-uh,” Tooru replied childishly, burrowing his face in the crook of Hajime’s neck. Might as well get Hajime reaccustomed with his whims.

Hajime only heaved a sigh, probably trying to make it sound put out, even when both of them could hear the unmistakable fondness in it, and otherwise made no comment.

This close to him Tooru could smell the cheap peppermint soap he always insisted on using on his hair despite Tooru’s indignation, and it made his eyes prickle. How stupid, crying over the smell of his best friend’s hair. Still, Tooru held him closer and burrowed his face in Hajime’s scarf.

They stayed that way for a long moment, ignoring the other passengers and everything else around them and simply holding each other close. It felt comfortable, like there was no place else Tooru would rather be. It seemed like Hajime felt the same way. But just as that thought crossed his mind everything felt suddenly too close, so Tooru stepped back a little but didn’t let go of the hold on Hajime’s neck. 

He then made the mistake of looking directly into Hajime’s eyes. He’d always thought they were beautiful, and when their attention was focused on him he felt like nothing could touch them in that moment.

Hajime was looking at him with a mix of fondness and confusion, and if that wasn’t the cutest expression Tooru had ever seen. “You okay there?” he asked.

Tooru was feeling too exposed, and despite not wanting to let go he needed a little distance to cool his head. It wouldn’t do to start waxing poetry about Hajime’s many qualities in the middle of a train station.

“Why, Iwa-chan, I think you've grown a bit shorter since the last time we met!" he chirped while simultaneously trying to extricate himself from Hajime’s bear grip. He wasn’t fast enough.

Hajime, who’d been looking at him with a pensive expression, suddenly sprang into action, catching Tooru’s head in one of his headlocks and making sure to rub his hand all over Tooru’s hair, ruining his hairstyle completely.

Tooru squealed and tried to free himself, but Hajime was faster – and Tooru was laughing too hard to be able to see anything – and caught him by the ends of his scarf. Tooru tried to unwrap it from his neck by spinning around, but that only caused him to get even more stuck than he’d been before, his scarf now tangled around Hajime’s hands and effectively restraining him.

Hajime pulled back slightly to look Tooru over and was seemingly unable to stop his laughter. It was loud and booming and it trickled out of him unimpeded. Tooru had missed that too. He fought to keep his own amusement in check, but they were in such a ridiculous position that he couldn’t hold it back.

“Sorry Iwa-chan,” Tooru said, trying and failing to maintain a serious expression, “I should’ve asked for your consent before I did that.”

Hajime cackled, his breath caught between wheezes. “Yeah, god, at least buy me dinner first.”

As he helped Hajime untangle himself Tooru realised that a weight he hadn’t even noticed before had been lifted from his chest. It was relief. 

Since deciding on confessing, his mind had provided him with a number of things for him to be worried about and possible worst-case scenarios, like how maybe Hajime would not reciprocate his feelings, or how having them be in the open might put a strain in their friendship. So Tooru was relieved to learn that they could still tease each other like they used to even after being apart for most of the year. It gave him hope for what he’d have to do.

“How many layers are you even wearing under that coat?” Hajime asked after being released, rearranging Tooru’s scarf around his neck. Tooru did not hold his breath and his heart did not leap inside his chest. Nope.

“Just three,” he huffed, trying to sound as dignified as he could, which under the circumstances was not much at all.

Hajime rolled his eyes as he usually did when he decided that Tooru was being ridiculous. It was a testimony to how gone Tooru was that he thought that expression was cute. 

“Oikawa, it’s 12 degrees out.”

“So?”

“ _So_ , you’re wearing four layers of clothing, plus gloves, _plus_ a beanie. I can’t even imagine what you’ll do when winter actually starts.”

“Well excuse me for being cold and bundling up like the responsible adult I am,” he replied snottily.

“You’re ridiculous,” he sighed, but he sounded fond. Tooru could feel his heart melt a little.

“C’mon, let’s go. I don’t want Obaa-chan to do everything by herself.”

Tooru made to grab Hajime’s bag from him and had to practically wrestle it from his hands.

“I can carry my own bag, dumbass. It’s not even that heavy.”

“I’m just being a good host, stop being so stubborn.”

“You just wanna look cool, don’t even lie.”

Tooru decided to not dignify that with an answer, which made Hajime snort. He pulled his bag toward himself again as Tooru grabbed it, but it was only a token struggle and he let Tooru take it. He hoisted it over his own shoulder and then led the way outside and towards the parking lot.

They got inside the car and Tooru immediately blasted the heating, to which Hajime responded by shaking his head amusedly and taking off his light jumper and scarf. Tooru put the car in reverse and made his way out toward the street.

Hajime kept glancing out the window, seemingly fascinated by the maze of streets and taking everything in with an almost child-like wonder. He pointed at a street corner once they’d reached the main road. There, an imposing gate stood in the shade of tall trees. 

“Which shrine is that?” he asked, a note of reverence in his voice.

“That’s Chichibu Shrine,” he answered simply, adding after a second, “I’ll take you there tomorrow if you want.” 

He allowed himself to take his eyes from the traffic just long enough to see the glimmer in Hajime’s eyes and hid his smile behind his scarf. 

The rest of the drive back to the ryokan passed smoothly, the comfortable silence that had settled between them only broken occasionally their half-hearted fighting over which radio station they should listen to, as well as Hajime’s comments on the landscape. He seemed more and more taken by the scenery as they rode back over the hill where the ryokan was located, and Tooru mentally patted himself on the back for his idea to bring Hajime here.

Tooru had been going to Chichibu every year for as long as he could remember, at first for the Oikawas’ family gatherings during the holidays and then to help his grandmother manage her ryokan after his grandfather passed away. He specially loved going in December because of he Night Festival, so he’d made it a habit to travel there after finishing his exams at the end of November to help her in preparation for it since it was one of the busiest times of the year, with many tourists staying there until the end of the festivities.

They arrived just before midday, so Tooru only allowed Hajime a minute to inspect their surroundings before ushering them inside, stopping only to drop Hajime’s bag near the entrance and hang their coats before walking in the direction of the kitchen.

His grandmother was already there setting up the dishes for lunch and she turned around to greet them, a huge smile stretching her cheeks. She walked purposefully towards Hajime and pulled him down with one hand on his arm as the one went to pinch his cheek.

“Hajime-kun, it’s so great to see you again! And you’ve grown so much since the last time we met. When was it again? Ah, it was at Tooru’s birthday party, right?”

She spoke at a mile a minute, but Hajime didn’t seem to mind it at all, simply letting himself be handled by her prodding little hands.

“Hi, Oikawa-san, it’s been a while. How are you?”

“Please, sweetheart, we’re practically family. Call me Obaa-san,” she said, looking around Hajime to wink at Tooru. And then she started pawing at Hajime’s biceps. “Oh! Look at what a handsome young man you’ve become. Isn’t he just so handsome, Tooru-chan?”

Tooru startled at being addressed, and contented himself in narrowing his eyes at her. Her smile widened.

Hajime, for his part, just smiled shyly at his grandmother, lifting one hand to scratch at the back of his neck. _Cute_.

“Thank you, Obaa-san. You look as beautiful as the last time I saw you.” 

This _fucker_. Tooru could not believe he was playing along with his grandmother’s schemes. He couldn’t believe he was finding the whole scene kind of adorable, even if he also felt a little like he was going to die of embarrassment.

His grandmother gasped delightedly. “Oh my, what a charmer! You got yourself a good one, Tooru-chan,” and she giggled lightly.

He startled at being addressed and only managed to gawp like a fish at his grandmother’s antics. His grandmother giggled. Imposing, dignified Oikawa Michiko was honest to god _giggling_ like a naughty child. He was regretting everything about this already.

“O _baa_ -san!” he whined loudly, disregarding any sense of self-respect and simply burrowing his hand in his own hands. he could hear hajime snickering at his side.

Probably judging she’d tormented Tooru enough for the time being, his grandmother let go of her hold on Hajime’s arms to clap her hands together.

“Now, now, I have to finish setting these up and you boys have distracted me enough. Shoo!” And just like that she turned back to her task, as if they’d never even been there and Tooru wasn’t still standing there recovering from her merciless teasing.

Hajime turned to Tooru and raised an eyebrow, lips pinched like he was trying to hold back laughter. Tooru simply shook his head before grabbing one of the aprons and a rag that was lying around and leading them back toward the common area. He showed Hajime to one of the low tables near the window.

“Sit down, I’ll be right back,” he said, before he set about cleaning the tables. Then, he popped back in the kitchen to get the tableware and arranged everything for lunch. 

A minute later the guests started trickling inside and he helped his grandmother set the tables. Then he walked back to where Hajime was, setting down the tray of food he’d carried over and sitting down in front of him.

“So,” Hajime said, picking up his chopsticks and starting to eat. His tone indicated how amused he was.

“What.”

“First of all, your grandmother is adorable.” 

He sounded genuine, and a small smile pulled the corner of his lips up. Tooru liked the way it looked on him.

“She’s a menace,” he grumbled half-heartedly, but he couldn’t deny how much her warm welcoming had meant to him, even if it was mostly at his expense. He could feel himself relaxing slightly.

Hajime laughed. “I think she’s great.”

Tooru huffed. “You’re just saying that because you loved watching her tease me.”

“You’re not wrong about that. I don’t know, I’m thinking that maybe I should spend some time with her. I think there’s a lot I could learn from her in the teasing Oikawa department.”

“Iwa-chan, _no_ , why would you do that?”

He shrugged. “Why not? Teasing you is fun, and you more than deserve it.”

Tooru gasped exaggeratedly. “ _What_? I’m a nice person and I’ve never done anything to deserve this unfair treatment.”

“Your grandmother seems to think otherwise.”

“Obaa-chan is mean. You’re both so mean.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. Now stop whining and eat before it gets cold.”

Tooru contemplated saying something annoying just to get the last word, but the oden was delicious and he felt himself relaxing further due to the steam drifting up from their dishes and Hajime’s warm presence next to him. 

“So you’re still helping around the ryokan after all these years, huh?” Hajime asked after a while. He was helping himself to another bowl of piping hot oden. “I honestly thought you’d stop, what with university and everything.”

Tooru blinked away some of the haze that had started to settle at the edge of his consciousness. “No way, I love helping Baa-chan. Plus, Akiko-san always works so hard. She deserves some rest once in a while.”

“Akiko-san?”

“The nakai. Obaa-chan hired her after Ojii-san died and she’s been working here ever since.”

Hajime thought about that for a second and then a smirk took over his face. “So does that mean that when Akiko-san isn’t here _you’re_ the nakai?”

Tooru stared at him unblinkingly for a long moment, willing the corners of his mouth from pulling upwards against his will. Hajime didn’t back down from it and simply stared back, one of his eyebrows raised and smirk still in place.

Tooru loved their comfortable teasing, it made him feel warm and happy inside to have someone understand and accept him so fully. But he also had to get Hajime away from his grandmother, or he wasn’t sure he’d survive this vacation.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Hajime said, feigning surprise, “are you actually training with your grandmother to become the okami of this respectful establishment?”

“Ha-ha, very funny, Iwa-chan. I’ll have you know that I’m actually a great attendant and all the guests love me,” he said, trying for his best haughty tone.

Hajme snorted but quickly schooled his expression. Teh he got up and said, in an incredibly annoying voice, “Then, by all means, please show me to my room, Nakai-san.”

Tooru kind of wanted to kick him, but since he couldn’t – at least not with the guests sitting nearby –, he settled for grabbing Hajime’s bag and throwing it at him when they were out of sight at the foot of the stairs. They walked up to the second floor and to the end of corridor, where Tooru opened the door on the right. He let Hajime go in first and closed the door behind them, leaving his slippers by the door.

“You can put your bag there,” he pointed to an alcove in the corner of the room, then took his outer jumper off and crossed the room to where the futons were kept.

It was quiet for a moment while he laid out the futons and covered them in white sheets. When he turned back around he saw Hajime leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, looking at him with a small smile on his face. His eyes widened slightly when he looks down at Tooru’s jumper, his smile doing the same a second later. 

“Is that my jumper?” he asked in a light tone. If Tooru didn’t know any better he’d say Hajime sounded _pleased_.

“What? No.” Tooru looked down at himself in confusion for a moment, not knowing where Hajime had gotten that idea. Then he noticed that faded print and, after squinting at it for a minute, realised what it was meant to be. He felt like slapping himself.

Faded almost beyond recognition were a large grey bob and three characters that read _Godzilla_.

“It _is_ mine. I had wondered if I’d lost it.” 

Tooru had no idea what he could possibly say to that, so he mumbled an _oh, yeah_ , before flopping face-first on his own futon. Forget about pride. His mind was screaming at him for being so careless. When had he even gotten that jumper? He did have a stash of clothes he'd stolen – _borrowed_ – from Hajime throughout the years, but he thought he'd left them at his parents' house in Miyagi. _Apparently not_ , his mind helpfully provided.

Hajime was silent for a minute – probably looking smugly at him –, but Tooru was suddenly feeling too embarrassed to play this out, so he simply laid there and waited. 

After a moment Hajime sighed quietly. “I think I’m going to the onsen for a while.”

That had Tooru’s head moving up. “Yeah, go ahead, I’ll take a nap and meet you there later. Do you need help finding your way?”

“No, that’s fine. See you later.”

Tooru then laid his head down again and waited. After a moment he heard the door of the room opening and closing, and allowed himself to let out a sigh.

He idly wondered if there’d be any scrape of his dignity left by the end of this vacation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Next time:** Oikawa Tooru severely miscalculates his capacity for endurance when faced with a naked Iwaizumi in the onsen. Plus, they do lots of sightseeing, and Oikawa's grandmother proves to be a great wingman.

**Author's Note:**

> Screech at me about iwaoi on [tumblr](https://loveintheveins.tumblr.com/).


End file.
